This invention relates to portable or xe2x80x9chand-heldxe2x80x9d computers, and particularly to systems for loading data into such computers, or unloading data from them, for example, when they are brought back to a central office after being used to collect information xe2x80x9cin the fieldxe2x80x9d.
Accordingly, the present invention seeks to provide a docking apparatus for a plurality of hand-held computers, which incorporates a data light guide system having a plurality of connections for communicating with each of the computers.
Preferably the docking system includes a multiple-bay housing in which each bay is adapted to receive one hand-held computer unit, and to establish data communication with it by means of a branch of the light guide system.
Preferably, the light guides comprise rods of shaped transparent acrylic material or other suitable material, having branches which are adapted to communicate with individual bays of the housing.
The invention also extends to an optical data communication system comprising a transparent light guide having an optical signal transducer at least at one end; and at least one branch from the light guide, adapted to divert a part of the light passing through the guide, and an aperture formed in the guide at the side remote from the signal transducer, the upstream side of the aperture being angled to extend beneath the branch so as to form a reflecting surface.
Preferably, the optical link is an infra-red link which is physically compliant to the Infra-red Data Association (xe2x80x9cIrDAxe2x80x9d) standard specifications, so as to enable standard sensors and transducers to be used.
It will be appreciated that the docking bays may also provide charging contacts for the portable computers, so that their internal batteries can be recharged whilst they are installed in the bays.
One advantage of using optical communications is that it simplifies the problems of electronic data-switching between a number of computers and a host system.